Hawaii: the park around ‘Akaka Falls, the picturesque 442-foot cascade on the Big Island’s Hilo side, and Kekaha Kai, a beach recreation area on the Kona coast

Jeanne Cooper

A sign at Kōke’e State Park.

There is some precedence in the islands for park fees — some of the national parks charge admission, as dothe state-managed Diamond Head and the county-managed Hanauma Bay, both on Oahu. And the proposed fees are relatively modest.

But as a visitor who might have to pay them, Hawaii Insider has a relatively modest proposal of my own. How about spending some (if not all) of those fees to maintain the parks and their facilities? I’ve visited six of the eight within the last year, and while some (like Hā’ena and ‘Akaka Falls) were about to open new or repaired amenities such as bathrooms and trails, the condition of the parking lots, access roads and signage at most were regrettably poor.

High usage and tropical weather undoubtedly play a role in the deterioration of manmade structures, but vandalism and lack of maintenance are also apparent in many of these otherwise beautiful and well-loved areas. If paying $1 to park means my car won’t be swallowed by a pothole, or that a sign allegedly pointing out what I’m seeing will actually be legible, this visitor is all for it. And parks officials, please use the fees to bring damaged areas back to health, even if that means restricting access from time to time: More visitors are likely to adopt “aloha ‘āina” if they see it in practice first.